Vulcanizer



W. A. GWYNN.

VULCANIZEH.

APPucATmN FILED MAR. 25, ms.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-$HEET I.

JNVENTOR ham/162v 20a WLZ BY A TTORNEY W. A. GWYNN.

VULGANIZER.

APPLICATION min mmzs. ma.

1,336,220. Patnted Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOA Willa) b? 6242 IZIZ WILLIAM A. GWYNN, OF

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 SUSIE If.

GWYNN, OF ST,

LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VULCANIZEE.

Application filed March 25,

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, \VILLIAM A. GWYNN, a. citizen of the United States,residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have inventednew and useful Improvements in Vulcanizers. of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to vulcanizing devices and particularly to thattype used 1n making. repairs. and in which only a 01'- tion of thearticle is vulcanized. uch vulcanizers are used for vulcanizing automobile tires. The heated vulcanizing body is provided with a faceagainst which the article to be vulcanized is pressed. As considerableforce is exerted to for-cc the article against the vulcanizing face itfrequently happens that ridges are formed in the surface of the articleat the ends of the vulcanizing body. Such ridges are objectionable. Thegeneral object of the present invention is to provide a vulcanizingdevice which is of very simple construction, but which will, operatetoprevent the formation of the ridges referred to above. A further obydtof the invention is to produce a vulcanizing device having aconstruction especially adapted to impart and conserve the heat which isused to heat the article beingvulcanizcd. Further objects of theinvention will appear hereinafter. w

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and featuresto be particularly described hereinafter, all oiL which contribute toproduce a simple and fiicient vulcanizing device. A preferred embodimentof my invention will be particularly described in the followingspecification while the broad scope of my invention will be pointed outin the appended claims.

In-the drawing Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through avulcanizing device embodying my invention. I

Fig. 2 is a. longitudinal vertical section through the vulcanizingdevice shown in Fip. 1, and

ig. 3 is a side elevation.

Referring more particularly to the parts, the vulcanizing device comrises a vulcanizer body 1, which is prefers l'y formed ofaheatconductive material such as cast iron. This vulcanizer body isprovided with a vulcanizi face 2 which may have any form adapting itspecial requirements of, the

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

1918. Serial No. 224,481.

vulcanizer. In the present instance the vulcanizer illustrated isintended especially for vuleanizing' automobile tires, for which reasonthe vulcanizing face 2 forms the bottom of a substantially U-shapedpocket 3 (see Fig. 1); and this face is also concave in a longitudinaldirection of the vulcanizer so as to adapt it to fit approximately tothe curvature of the tread of the tire l which is to be vulcanized.

In the vuleanizing operation, the tire put in place in the pocket, andwithin the tire, at this point, there is placed a cushion which may bein the form of an elongated pneumaticbag 5 which is supplied withcompressed air through an inflating tube 6. In this bag, the pressure ismaintained so that it fills out the interior of the tire and tends toexpand the tire in the ,U-shaped pocket. This cushion is for the purposeof applying pressure uniformly to the tire to press it against thevulcanizing face 2. In order to develop considerable pressure for thispurpose a pair of shoes 7 are provided. (see Fig. 1) which have across-section adapting them to fit the edges 8 of the tire. These shoesare preferably formed of metal and are intended to move downwardly onthe vertical 'uide faces 9 of the U shaped pocket. Inor or to press themdown with considerable 'orce; a bridge bar 10 is provided which entendsacross above the pocket, said bridge bar being provided with a powerscrew 11, the upward thrust of which s carried by two bolts 10.These-shoes 7 are curved longitudinally to correspond with the curvatureof the tire and the vertical meet ing faces 12 are provided respectivelywith dowel pins 13 which are received in corresponding openings l-i inthe opposite shoe.

'ith a vulcanizcr having the simple construction referred to above, ithas been found, that on account of the heat and pressure exerted uponthe face of the tire, there is a tendency for the transverse edges 15,which form the ends of the 'vulcanizing face, to form transverse ridgesin the face of the tire. In order to overcome this defect I 'n'ovideparts of non-conduetin material having faces which are substantiallyflush with thevu lcahizing face 2. These parts are preferably in theform of pieces 160i wood which lie against the end face of thevulcanizer body, their upper edges beings ar vided with curved faces 17having the same curvature as the vulcanizing face 2 and flush therewith.

In order to enable the vulcanizer body to be economically heated, it isprovided with a heating chamber 18 which is of U-shape (see Fig. 1)extending up on the sides of the U-shaped pocket, and its bottom wall 19is curved to correspond with the curvature of the vulcanizing face 2.\Vithin this chamber 18 I provide a fluid heating-medium preferably abody of water, 20. Below the water chamber, electrical heating means isprovided in the form of two heaters 22 which may be supplied withcurrent from an suitable source.

11 order to conserve the heat developed by the heating devices 22, thevulcanizer body is substantial] enveloped in a non-conducting case 23.iis casin is preferably simply a box constructed 0 wood which envelopsthe bottom and longitudinal sides of the vulcanizer body, so as to holdthe vulcanizer bodyelevated above the floor, and so as to form aninsulating chamber in which 1 pack an insulating material 24 such asasbestos. This asbestos may be packed in the casing through an openingsuch. as the opening 2-3 in its bottom 26, covered by a removable plate27. The parts 16 referred to above may form the ends of the box or Inorder to support the vulcanizer body in the casing, its ends may rest oncurved cleats 28 attached to the inner faces of the endwallsfifi (seeFig. 2). The water for the heating chamber 18 may be supplied through asuitable filling connection 29 provided with a removable screw plug 30.This filling connection is located at about the level indicated and ispreferably in a horizontal position so that it will prevent the heatingchamber 18 from being filled to too high a level.

In Fig. 3 the wiring arrangement is indicated involving the use of asteam gage 31 lhiQlLQQiiRfiffilJG-S with a regulator 32 to control theaniountb fciifiefit passing throif'h theheaters 22. This gage isattached fiy means of a trap 34, to a steam connection 33 (see F ig 1which comes through the side wall of the device. The electric currentmay be led into the contacts of the steam gage by a conductor 35,andthen passes by a conductor 36 to the regulator 32, and thence by aconductor 37 through the side wall of the casing at an opening 38, fromwhich point the heaters 22 are. connected up in para leldiranehes 39which connect with the return wire 40 passing out through the res ing at41. In practice these two openings 38 and 41 may be combined in one, butthey are illustrated in this way to simplify the wiring diagram.

n the practical operation of such vul anizers the tires sometimes stick,or ad; re

casing 23.

to the walls of the vulcanizing pocket. In order to facilitate thedisengagement of the tire under such circumstances 1 provide each end ofthe casing 23 with a transverse cleat 42 the flanges ol which lie on thefloor in a position to be pressed with ones foot in order to hold thecasing down when the tire is pulled upwardly.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described hereinis only one oi the many embodiments my invention may take, and I do notwish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims, tothe particular embodiment set forth.

\Vhat I claim is: v

1. In a vulcanizing device, the combination of a heat-conductivevulcanizing body, having a vulcanizing face against which the article tobe vulcanized may be pressed, and having a chamber to hold a fiuidheatingmedium and a nonaronduri'ing casing enveloping the bottom andsides oi said \'ulanizer body and having parts with faces flush withsaid vuleanizing face to support the pressure of the article adpu'cntthe edge of said vulrauizing face to pre ent forming a ridge in the faceof the vulcanized article.

2. In a vulcanizing device, the combination of a heatcoiuluctivcvulcanizer body having a chamber therein to hold a fluid heating-medium,said bod I having a pocket on its upper side with a vulcanizing faceagainst which the article to be vulcanized may be pressed, said pocketbeing open at its ends to receive the article to be vulcanized, wherebythe article being vulcanized may overhan the ends of the vulcanizerbody, a non-conducting casing enveloping said vulcanizer body on itsbottom and longitudinal sides, said casin having parts at the ends ofsaid pocket wit] faces flush with said vulcanizing face for supportingthe face of the article adjacent the ends of said vulcanizer body, saidcasing forming an insulating chamber about said vulcanizer body, and anon-conducting packing within said insulatin chamber.

In a tire vulcanizin device, the combination of a heat con uctivevulcanizer body having a chamber therein to hold a fluid heating-medium,said body having a concave U-shap pocket on its u per side with avulcanizing face to receive t e tire to be vulcanized, said pocket beingopen at its ends whereby the tire overhangs the ends of said pocket, atnon-conducting casing enveloping said vulcanizer bod onvits bottom andlongitudinal sides and aving parts with faces flush with saidvulcanizing face at the ends of said pocket for engaging and supportingthe face of the tire, said casin forming aninsulating chamber about saidvulcanizer body, and a nonconducting packing Within s id insulatingchamber.

'4. In a tire vcanizing device, the combination of a heat-conductivevulcanizer body having a chamber therein to hold a fluid heatin -medium,said body having a concave U-s aped pocket on its upper side with avulcanizing face, and open at its ends to receive the tire tobevulcanized, with por tions of the tire overha'nging the ends of saidpocket, means for forcing the tire against the said vulcanizing face, anon-conducting casing enveloping said vulcanizer body on its bottom andlongitudinal sides,said casin having parts with faces at the ends of saipocket substantially flush with said vulcanizing face, for supportingthe overhanging portions of the tire.

5. In a vulcanizing device, the combina-- body, an electric heaterlocated within said insufating chamber, an insulating packing in saidinsulating chamber, said case having a bottom retaining said packing,and an opening through which the packing may be introducedinto saidinsulating chamber.

6. In a tire' vulcanizin device, the conibination of a heat-con uctingvulcanizer body having a concave U-shaped pocket on its upper side, saidpocket being open at its ends so as to enable the same to receive thetire to be vulcanized, said vulcanizer body having a chamber therein tohold a fluidheating medium, said chamber extending upwardly on the sidesof said U-sha'ped pocket, a non-conductin casing for said vu-lcanizerbody covering tie sides thereof, and non-conducting parts disposed atthe ends of said U-shaped pocket to support the article which is beingvulcanized, and prevent forming ridges therein.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto, set my hand.

WILLIAM A. GWYNN.-

